Saturday, August 31, 2013

Described by director Bruce LaBruce as "the reverse Lolita",Gerontophilia follows the story of a young man who takes a job in a nursing home where he develops a romantic and sexual relationship with one of the residents. As LaBruce describes in his Indiegogo pitch video, "think Harold & Maude meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with a little bit of The Shining thrown in, stylistically speaking. Think Kids meets Cocoon. Think Grumpy Old Men meets Emmanuelle."

Below is a clip from Gerontophilia, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Always make sure to have at least one alternate choice for every film screening you want to attend (I actually choose up to four alternate choices). Also there's a few forums online (such as this one), which keep track of which films have gone off-sale (definitely a good fact to know).Since it can be a daunting task the choose films, there are many tools you can use to help. The best tool from the last few years is a website called TIFFR, which allows you to add TIFF films to a shortlist and plot them to your own personal schedule. (Vanguard Blog's note: we lovvvveeeee TIFFR! It's, as the kids say, the bomb. Wait, do they still say that?)

Buy Tickets as Early as Possible

The Festival Box Office at 225 King Street West opens for single ticket sale at 9 am on Sept. 1. It has become the habit of hardcore cinephiles to actually camp out the night before, in order to acquire the best tickets. While camping out isn't really that necessary, it is highly recommended that you buy tickets as soon as you can, preferably on the first day of ticket sales. Since the online ordering system can sometimes be unreliable on the first day, it is best to wake-up early and head to the box office in person (I recommend arriving AT LEAST an hour or two before tickets go on sale). While you might find yourself in for a long wait (one year I waited 8 hours in line), you will likely be able to get tickets to most of the screenings you want to see (assuming you arrived well prepared).(Vanguard Blog's note: We've been hearing better and better things about the online process and while technology is never always perfect, it can be a much better alternative to camping out in front of the box office. Then again, you could make some new friends.)

Off-sale Does NOT Mean "Sold Out"

A big pet peeve of mine is when people describe a film at TIFF as being "sold out." The official terminology TIFF uses when tickets are no longer available is "off-sale." This is because many films tend to go back on sale for one reason or another. That's why TIFF asks you to check the the box office everyday at 7am, since that is when additional tickets might be available for purchase. It is only on the day of the screening when the film is officially no longer available and marked "RUSH."(Vanguard Blog's note: As this author professionally manages theatres for film festivals, she too never uses the phrase "sold out" when referring to screenings. EVER. Because, like Sean says, even if there are no tickets currently for sale, it doesn't mean there won't be at some point. And even then, there is always the Rush Line. Which brings us to...)

When in Doubt, RUSH

If there is a film that you ABSOLUTELY want to see, but you haven't been able to get advanced tickets, there is always the RUSH line. In it's simplest description, the RUSH line is place where you wait on stand-by, in case last minute tickets become available. Usually RUSH tickets are sold 10 minutes before a screening, after most of the ticket holders have been let in, and are CASH-ONLY. (Vanguard Blog's note: Again, as a professional festival worker, this author can attest to the Rush Line being one of the most fun experiences you'll ever have at a film festival. Sure, you could be in line for a couple of hours. But if you REALLY want to see a film, it's worth it. And since everyone else in the line REALLY wants to see the film too, you'll have something to talk about. Pack a snack, bring some cash, and get comfy. Also, when you get into a Rush Line, take a moment to find a volunteer or staff member who can explain all of the Rush Line rules too you; they can sometimes change from year to year and differ at every festival.)

Intrepid Vanguard follows, do you have any of your own tips for successfully snagging Festival tickets? Share them with us!

Friday, August 30, 2013

Last week, we shared the poster and behind-the-scenes featurette for Proxy, Zack Parker's fourth feature film, which is premiering at this year's Festival. While that's fairly exciting in itself, now we have something even more spectacular: a teaser trailer. Oh heck yeah. It doesn't give away too much, gets under your skin, and the last few seconds are so undeniably creepy you won't be able to shake it. The film stars Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe, and this year's unofficial Vanguard mascot, Joe Swanberg, and we don't think you'll want to miss this jaw-dropping, disturbing thriller.

Ben Wheatley's black and white English Civil War freakout plays in the Wavelengths programme, but it could easily have fit in amongst the other Vanguard titles, so we're going to feature it here. Wheatley's a TIFF favourite, with his last two features (2012's Sightseers and 2011's Kill List) showing in the festival. Here's the trailer:

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Navigating TIFF's village can be a daunting task for the uniniatied. So, over the next few days, I'll be doing a series of posts on getting around using various modes of transport. My personal favorite way to get around is on foot and a few years ago I used my professional skills as a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (it's a real title folks just ask Jack Donaghy!) to create the matrix below.

For those worried about the location of the Bloor, if you use Bell Lightbox as a reference point it's almost the same distance as the Bader if you walk. In fact, the Bloor is closer to the Lightbox than Bader if you drive!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Check out the retro Seventies style poster for Ti West's The Sacrement via Entertainment Weekly. It has a fantastic newspaper ad style that evokes both Jim Jones and true crime novels.

"The
latest film from indie genre icon Ti West (The House of the Devil, The
Innkeepers) sends frequent collaborators AJ Bowen, Amy Seimetz, Joe
Swanberg and Kentucker Audley on a harrowing journey into madness and
messianic bloodshed."--From the Vanguard Programme notes.

If you're familiar with the term "New French Extremity," then you've probably heard of or seen the work of writer/director/producer Alexandre Aja (pronounced AH-zhah). Haute Tension (a.k.a. High Tension or Switchblade Romance) splattered the screen as part of the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival's Midnight Madness programme, joining the legacy of other ultra-gory French horror films like À l'intérieur, Frontière(s), Irréversible, Martyrs, and more.

Before Haute Tension, there was Furia, Aja's feature film debut, starring Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone) and Stanislas Merhar (La Folie Almayer). Furia is based on "Grafitti," a short story by Julio Cortázar and critic Mark Deming provides a brief synopsis on AllRovi.com:

Combining romance, science fiction, and a political parable, Furia takes place in the future, after an oppressive government, which has shut down all political opposition, recognizes art as a means of free expression--and therefore bans painting on public surfaces.

2003's Haute Tension, a riveting, terrifying, incredibly gory film, earned Aja an international reputation, and rightly so. The less you know about it going in, the better, but here's a trailer that will give you a taste.

Aja reimagined Wes Craven's low-budget shocker The Hills Have Eyes for his first English-language film in 2006, and the result is a better-looking, more believable, more frightening, and ultimately better film (I realize horror fans will fight me on this one but I am standing my ground).

Aja then wrote and produced the somewhat-less-popular P2 about a woman trapped by her stalker in an underground parking garage on Christmas Eve and then wrote and directed Mirrors, an English-language remake of the Korean film Into the Mirror, starring Kiefer Sutherland as an ex-cop haunted by hallucinations, murderous mirrors, and abusive nuns at a convent (it's actually more coherent on film than it sounds on the page).

For the remake of Joe Dante's beloved (do not question me on this one) Piranha, Aja was a triple threat, writing, directing, and producing this exceptionally popular and bloody (Aja says they used more fake blood than Kill Bill) tale of spring break insanity and killer fish. Also, boobs. Lots of boobs. And did we mention it is in 3DD?

For the 2012 remake of the infamous 1980 William Lustig slasher Maniac, Aja wrote and produced, but snagged old friend Franck Khalfoun (who directed P2) to direct. Maniac, which stars Elijah Wood as the titular character, screened at Cannes to impressive critical acclaim.

Which brings us to Horns, premiering at The Toronto International Film Festival's Vanguard Programme this year. Based on Joe Hill's novel, Horns stars Daniel Radcliffe as Ignatius "Ig" Perrish, who, after being blamed for his girlfriend's murder, not only wakes up one day with horns growing from his head, but also becomes the confessor to everyone he encounters. He hopes to use his developing status as a way to find the real killer.

Filmmakers Simon and Zeke Hawkins are no strangers to film festivals, having made the rounds with their award-winning short films in the past. We Gotta Get Out of This Place, however, is their first feature film. And not just any ol' feature film, but a tense, edge-of-you-seat, nouveau noir, crime thriller set in Texas, with a nod to pulp crime master Jim Thompson. Whoa, right?

Yesterday, the poster was released and naturally, it's not just an ol' poster. Nope, it's a hand-painted by Eisner Award winning artist Sean Phillips (yeah, THAT Sean Phillips). Since we know you're beyond excited for We Gotta Get Out of This Place by now, the screening times are listed below. You can also learn more about the film on its IMDb page and find even more amazing films from the Vanguard Programme on the Festival website.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Probably my favourite addition to the Toronto International Film Festival this year is Artistic Director Cameron Bailey's personal Tumblr. He opened his Tumblr sometime in 2012, but this year he's actively using the account to outline his own personal project: the Mission List. This list, chosen by Cameron, comprises of fifteen world premiere feature-length films, fiction or non-fiction, that are without distribution in Canada or the US. The reason why they've been singled out? Films on the Mission List directly fulfill the TIFF mission statement.

On August 6th, Cameron took a photo of the TIFF mission statement that he tacked above his desk, and posted it on Tumblr:

The Vanguard programme includes one of Cameron's Mission List selections -- THE FAKE. South Korean animator Yeon Sangho's sophomore feature was chosen

"For bringing religion, family and politics together in the most delicious way. For reminding us that good animation doesn’t have to be expensive. For ruthlessness."

Christoffer Boe's film documents the unlikely friendship between two of 1960s Denmark's most interesting men: Mogens Glistrup, a radical libertarian, and the hedonist capitalist Simon Spies. Their friendship, forged by being outsiders in a conformist country, took them through years of adulation and success, with slight detours into the welcoming arms of vilification and imprisonment. Boe's story about Spies and Glistrup covers just a few decades from 1965 to 1984. Here's the trailer (alas, no subtitles, but I think you'll get the general idea):

And I love these posters, with one for each character as well as the primary one:

The quotation from Simon Spies on this one reads: "I have no vices, only appetites."

And Mogens Glistrup's is, very loosely translated: "Tax evaders can be compared to railway saboteurs. They do a dangerous job but one that's good for the country."

A tidbit from programmer Steve Gravestock's programme note: Sex, Drugs & Taxation is one of the most daring movies to come out of Denmark since the Pusher trilogy — and it's certainly the only one you'll see this year where a man in a bathrobe chases off a full-grown gorilla by waving his penis at it.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Brussels-based filmmaking duo Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani return to the giallo aesthetics they first explored in their 2009 film Amer in the psychosexual horror The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears. A husband (Klaus Tange) arrives home arrives home from the airport to discover that his apartment is locked from within and his wife is missing. Discovering the circumstances of her mysterious disappearance lead the husband along a surreal path of nightmare and horror.

Below are the poster and trailer for The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Further information about Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani's The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the The Strange Colour of Your Body's TearsFacebook page and IMDB page.

Do you have any idea what is going on in this trailer for Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari? Yeah, we don't either and we wouldn't have it any other way. Director Alexey Fedorchenko crafts a fantastical world rich in pagan folklore, fertility, and female sexuality in the 23 vignettes that make up this surreal film. When it screened at the Rome Film Festival last winter, The Hollywood Reporter said, "Picture Beasts of the Southern Wild in the snowcapped Urals, with two-dozen female characters whose names all start with the letter "O," and with enough bugged out sexcapades to earn a slot on John Waters’ DVD shelf, and you’ll get a brief idea of what’s in store." The review went on to say that the outrageous sex scenes may be enough to elevate the film to cult status. If we weren't excited enough before, we are now. Here's the poster, as if you needed more convincing:

While working as a chef at a Japanese restaurant, the quiet, unassuming A-Chuan (Joseph Chang) abruptly, and without apparent reason, collapses unconscious. When he wakes up, A-Chuan isn't quite the same. The 2013 Festival selection Soul is an stylish, unflinching look at demonic possession by acclaimed Taiwanese filmmaker Chung Mong-Hong (The Fourth Portrait).

Below is the trailer for Soul, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Since a teaser trailer first made its way onto the internet last February, websites like Twitchfilm.com and Indiewire.com have been eagerly anticipating director Brillante Ma Mendoza's Sapi. Mendoza, a Festival veteran (with 2012's Thy Womb) sets his sights on the corruption of mainstream media in this brilliantly satiric and dark horror film that is sure to make you more than uncomfortable the next time you catch yourself watching the news. Check out the trailer below:

Friday, August 23, 2013

Turkish writer-director Onur Ünlü’s mysterious, fantastical-scatological fable follows a barber who survives a suicide attempt and finds himself falling in love, succumbing to murderous jealousy, and trying to make sense of life in a village where his neighbours are invisible, immortal or possess the ability to stop time.
Described as a kind of Turkish superhero movie, THOU GILD'ST THE EVEN has a fascinating premise and gorgeous black-and-white cinematography. Behold the trailer:

I found two poster designs for the film, both using the Turkish title. I expect that one of these will be used with the English title at the festival.

This film about the ordinary sorrows, worries and troubles of townspeople with extraordinary abilities plays TIFF as part of the Vanguard lineup.
THOU GILD'ST THE EVEN screening times:

Proxy, the fourth feature film by writer-director-producer Zack Parker, follows the pregnant Esther (Alexia Rasmussen) after she is viciously attacked after a doctor's appointment. Disfigured and traumatized, Esther joins a support group, hoping to come to terms with her assault, but what she finds there is much more intriguing.

Below is the poster for Proxy, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Zack Parker also produced a series of behind-the-scenes featurettes, the first of which you can watch below:

Festival alum (2012's Hellbenders) Macon Blair gives a tense, harrowing performance as Blue Ruin's lead, as his character, the drifter Dwight, carries out an act of vengeance that will also protect his estranged family. Writer-director Jeremy Saulnier's Blue Ruin is "a lean and suspenseful genre piece," says Variety, that won the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes.

Below is a clip from Blue Ruin, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

The Toronto International Film Festival® Vanguard programme takes audiences on a sensory rollercoaster ride with boundary-pushing international works that are bold and bodacious. Curated by international programmer Colin Geddes, this lineup brings the best in genre and arthouse together for a cinematic odyssey that eludes conventional definition.

"From revenge and ruin to sex, drugs and taxation, this programme challenges audiences to go places that no audience has gone before," said Geddes. "Where Midnight Madness opens up audiences to a world of fear and fantasy, Vanguard plunges them into a confrontational and unnerving one that sometimes comes a bit too close to reality for comfort."

The Vanguard roster features a provocative partnership between Ti West (The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers) and Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever), the darkly comic and esoteric Jeremy Saulnier (Murder Party), the ironic social commentary of Alex van Warmerdam (The Last Days of Emma Blank, Ober), the daring French duo of Helene Cattet and Bruno Forzani (Amer), and horror master Alexandre Aja (Haute Tension, Piranha 3D, The Hills Have Eyes).

Asphalt Watches is a true story. It is a feature-length animation based on a real-life hitchhiking trip taken by the two directors, Shayne Ehman and Seth Scriver in the year 2000. The film details the hilarious and amazing journey of Bucktooth Cloud and Skeleton Hat as they travel eastward across Canada.

Jeremy Saulnier, USA, North American Premiere A classic American revenge story, Blue Ruin follows a mysterious outsider whose quiet life is turned upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Finding himself in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family, he proves to be an amateur assassin. Starring Macon Blair.

Alex van Warmerdam, The Netherlands/Belgium/Denmark, North American Premiere

Borgman is the central character in Alex van Warmerdam’s dark, malevolent fable. Is he a dream or a demon, a twisted allegory or an all-too-real embodiment of our fears? Borgman is a sinister arrival in the sealed-off streetsof modern suburbia. His presence unleashes a crowing gallery of distortion around the careful façade constructed by an arrogant, comfortable couple, their three children and nanny. Starring Jan Bijoet, Jeroen Perceval and Hadewych Minis.

Comprised of 23 vignettes illuminating the pagan-influenced mores of western Russia’s Meadow Mari, the latest film from director Alexey Fedorchenko (Silent Souls) is a beguiling, painterly portrait of a culture driven by a ritualistic appreciation of female beauty and feminine sexuality.

A rural village is determined to be submerged and its residents are compensated for relocation. A swindler named Choi deceives the poor villagers with false religion to make them give up their compensations as church offerings. Min-chul, an infamous local good-for-nothing waster, discovers the truth, but he is unable to convince anyone; especially against Reverend Sung, who is revered by the people, but who in fact is someone Choi scouted to serve his purpose. When Min-chul’s own faithful daughter is forced into prostitution by these fakes, he sets out to get even.

Bruce LaBruce, Canada, North American Premiere The always provocative Bruce LaBruce is back with a new romantic comedy (of sorts).18-year-old Lake has a sweet activist girlfriend, but one day discovers he has an unusual attraction for the elderly. Fate conspires to land him a summer job at a nursing home where he develops a tender relationship with Mr. Peabody. Discovering that the patients are being over-medicated to make them easier to manage, Lake decides to wean him off his medication and help him escape, resulting in a humorous and heartfelt road trip that strengthens their bond.

Alexandre Aja, USA, World Premiere Horns, a supernatural thriller driven by dark comedy, mystery and romance follows Ignatius Perrish as he awakens after a hard night of drinking to find he has grown a pair of horns. In addition to his devilish appearance, the horns cause people to fall into a trance and voice their most unspeakable thoughts, an effective tool in Ig’s quest to discover the truth of his girlfriend's murder. Starring Juno Temple and Daniel Radcliffe.

(Gente En Sitios) Juan Cavestany, Spain, World Premiere This kaleidoscopic film weaves together approximately 20 fragmented scenarios that offer a view of contemporary Spain, drawing conclusions about the persistence of the human condition, strangeness, and the chaos within relationships. Starring Raul Arevalo, Eduard Fernandez and Santiago Segura.

Zack Parker, USA, World Premiere While walking home from her latest OB appointment, a very pregnant Esther Woodhouse is brutally attacked and disfigured by a hooded assailant. This horrible event seems to be a blessing in disguise when Esther finds consolation in a support group. Her life of sadness and solitude is opened up to friendship, understanding, and even acceptance. However, friendship and understanding can be very dangerous things when accepted by the wrong people.

Ti West, USA, North American Premiere From acclaimed writer/director Ti West (The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers) and horror master Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever, The Last Exorcism), The Sacrament follows two Vice media correspondents as they set out to document their friend's search to find his missing sister. They travel outside of the United States to an undisclosed location where they are welcomed into the world of "Eden Parish," a self-sustained rural utopia comprised of nearly 200 members. At the centre of this small, religious, socialist community is a mysterious leader known only as "Father." As their friend reunites with his sister, it becomes apparent to the newcomers that this paradise may not be as it seems. What started as just another documentary shoot soon becomes a race to escape with their lives. Starring Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Kentucker Audley, Amy Seimetz and Gene Jones.

Brillante Mendoza, Philippines, World PremiereWith the rival station Philippine Broadcasting Channel (PBC) eating up the TV audiences' major share, Sarimanok Broadcasting Network (SBN) needs a miracle to stay alive in the competition. In these mad and fearful times, SBN's news team finds that documenting an actual spiritual possession would be their only hope.

Sex, Drugs & Taxation is based on the true story about the spectacular friendship between two of the most notorious and provocative men in 1960s Denmark: the eccentric lawyer-turned-politician, Mogens Glistrup, and the 'travel king', millionaire, womanizer and public provocateur, Simon Spies. Starring Pilou Asbæk, Nicolas Bro and Jesper Christensen.

Chung Mong-Hong, Taiwan, International PremiereA-Chuan, a quiet 30-year-old man working as a chef in a Japanese restaurant, collapses suddenly and is rushed to a hospital. His colleagues send him to his father, who resides in the mountains. While there, A-Chuan becomes immobile: he won’t speak, eat or even go to the toilet on his own. One day his father returns from work only to find A-Chuan sitting in the corner with his daughter lying dead in a pool of blood. In an unfamiliar, eerily calm voice, A-Chuan says, "I saw this body was empty, so I moved in."

Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani, Belgium/France/Luxembourg, North American Premiere A woman vanishes. Her husband inquires into the strange circumstances of her disappearance. Did she leave him? Is she dead? As he continues his search, he plunges into a world of nightmare and violence... Starring Klaus Tange, Jean-Michel Vovk, Sylvia Camarda, Sam Louwyck and Anna D’Annunzio.

In a small Anatolian town, life goes on: Cemal is an assistant referee in football matches; Yasemin works on a farm; and Defne is a street vendor who sells books. In this town with two suns and three full moons in the sky, Cemal — who has the ability to see through the walls — has no expectations out of life, and looks for a way out with Yasemin — who can move objects with her fingers. However, Defne, who can freeze time, will muddle things up, and Yasemin's immoral boss' actions will contradict the invisible elementary school teacher's advice, who is trying to eliminate the worries of Cemal. Thou Gild'st the Even is a black and white film about the ordinary sorrows, worries and troubles of townspeople with extraordinary abilities.

With only three weeks left until his two best friends leave for college, Billy Joe robs his cotton farmer boss, Giff, in order to pay for one last blow-out weekend in Corpus Christi, Texas. Arriving home from the weekend, the teens find the consequences of Billy Joe’s actions brutal. Now Billy Joe, Bobby, and Sue will be taken on a ride that will test love, heartbreak, trust, and crossing that permanent line from adolescence into adulthood.

Purchase Festival ticket packages online 24 hours a day at tiff.net/festival, by phone Monday to Friday from 10am to 7pm ET at 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433, or visit the box office in person from 10am to 10pm ET at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West, until August 19. The 38th Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 5 to 15, 2013.

About TIFF TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.

The Toronto International Film Festival is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC, L'Oréal Paris, Visa and Audi, and Major Supporters the Government of Ontario, Telefilm Canada and the City of Toronto.

The Vanguard programme is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Vimeo.